Air Gear: GHOST
by KrAzY-LiTtLe-ImP
Summary: Although she was stuck in a tyrannical team, Miu Azarashi was happy riding AT's. But when Team Kogarasumaru comes into the picture, everything is turned upside down. Will her happiness end, or will she find something new? AgitoxOCxAkito...maybe Lind later
1. Trick One

**! Disclaimer: I do not own Air Gear or the characters within it. All credit for Air Gear goes to the wonderful Oh! Great. I do, however, own Miu (my OC) and the team Fantom Force.**

**!! Warning: Since this is an Air Gear fic, I do warn you all that Agito's potty-mouth is the real deal. He does drop the F-bomb quite a few times, so if that offends you--don't read, okay? **

Trick One: 

Akito loomed over one of his latest victims, admiring his gory handiwork. Only barely conscious, the man groaned in pain as blood pooled around his body.

It had been about a week since he had begun attacking Stormriders under the name Kogarasumaru in hopes of drawing out Behemoth. Many teams had been torn to shreds under his mighty fangs. Tonight was no different.

As his victim began to drift into unconsciousness, so did his pained moans. His groans died down only to be replaced by an equally eerie silence.

Feeling a presence masked by the silence, Agito turned to find a figure quickly approaching. It was cloaked in white and seemed to be facing the other direction. As it came closer, he realized that it was a Stormrider riding backwards.

A sinister, shark-like grin snaked its way across Agito's face as he lunged forward. He reached the white Stormrider in seconds, whipping his left leg around to slice into his opponent.

But his kick never connected, nor did the hook-tipped straps. An empty space now stood where the white-clad figure had.

Wide-eyed, Agito watched as the figure flipped over him, soaring just centimeters from his face. A long, pointed hat was pulled down over the rider's eyes, leaving two stitched exes to replace them. All that was visible was the smug grin dancing across the Stormrider's lip as it almost touched Agito's.

Then, twisting in mid-air, the figure landed behind Agito and silently sped off into the darkness.

Agito remained where he was, still looking upward. He clenched his teeth, sneering angrily as he glared at what the Stormrider had left behind.

The words "Fantom Force" glowed hauntingly where he had just recently placed Kogarasumaru's emblem.

Agito calmed slightly, the irritated sneer now forming a wide, devious grin. He snickered softly at first, breaking into a full cackle as he shouted, "What luck! This is just the kind of appetizer we needed!!"

***

"What? Ghosts?" Ikki inquired as both Kazu and Onigiri nodded solemnly. He became silent for a moment, as if thinking it over, and then replied ignorantly, "So what?"

Kazu and Onigiri almost fell over.

"These aren't just any ghosts, man! They attack Stormriders!" Kazu yelled, trying to make his point.

"They've been taking out Stormriders left and right! Nobody even hears them coming!!" Onigiri added, shivering at the thought.

Ikki shrugged this away, clenched his fist and roared confidently, "Like I said, so what? We'll just kick their asses!"

"It's a _ghost_, man! You _can't_ kick its ass no matter how strong you are!" Kazu groaned. Ikki just wasn't getting it.

"Fucking bullshit…" Agito sneered, finally speaking up. "Give me a fucking break! That little shit-stain isn't a ghost. It's a Stormrider, I saw it myself. And its next target is Kogarasumaru."

"H-how do you know that?" Kazu stammered.

"'Cuz the little fucker put its emblem over ours! They're called 'Fantom Force' or some pansy-ass name like that!" Agito hissed, remembering the night before.

He wouldn't just stand around like before. This time he would be ready.

Everyone turned to look at Ikki, waiting on his decision. He smirked and stuck his nose in the air confidently. Then, looking at the others out from the corner of his eye, Ikki grinned and said, "Fine with me. We could use another win, anyway!"

Completely stoked, Ikki threw his fist into the air and shouted, "We'll kill 'em dead!"

The others hesitated but couldn't help but feed from his excitement. They all grinned as well and threw their fists into the air like Ikki's.

"Yeah!! Kill 'em dead!!!" they roared with just as much vigor.

***

The next night, as clouds filled the night sky, team Kogarasumaru congregated atop the building where Agito had met the opposing team's member the previous night.

Waiting for them, team Fantom Force stood, all four cloaked in black. They seemed irritated and impatient, mumbling something as Ikki and his teammates came closer.

"Dude! Some fearsome team! They don't even look like ghosts! And you only have four riders!" Ikki scoffed arrogantly, pointing at each opposing rider and grinning.

"Don't get cocky, you little shit! We have plenty of riders! She'll be here any minute!" one of the Fantom Force riders snapped.

As if on cue, a white blur landed silently behind team Kogarasumaru, the wheels of its AT's not even clicking on the cement rooftop.

The fifth member rose, her long white sleeves nearly touching the ground as they fell at her sides. Her black AT's, contrasting drastically with her white leggings, were barely visible in the night and gave her the illusion of floating.

"Your late, Ghost…again," one of her fellow teammates grumbled as she made her way towards the other members of Fantom Force.

Her one visible eye, the other concealed by a shock of silver hair, narrowed at his comment. She shrugged and took a seat on a pile of crates beside team Kogarasumaru at the edge of the roof.

"Snotty little bitch," he sneered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

She ignored this comment and stared blankly at team Kogarasumaru.

"That's the ghost? It's a chick…" Kazu gaped, looking at the girl sitting only a few feet from them.

"Yeah…" Onigiri drooled, unquestionably countless lewd thoughts running through his head as he examined her attire.

Her top was back-less and barely reached down to her hips where it was met by a pair of black hot pants and white chaps. A tall, pointy hat rested just along her brow, a large, black 'x' stitched above each eye.

"Yeah, yeah, so she's hot. Can we get on with this?" Ikki sighed, eager to start the match. "Let's just kick their asses and get this over with."

One of Fantom Force's members stepped forward, getting in Ikki's face. It was obvious by this man's air and behavior that he was the leader.

"I warned you, you little shit, watch it!" he growled dangerously, grabbing Ikki's collar.

Ikki took a step forward, replying just as dangerously, "And if I don't?"

Buccha, Kazu and Onigiri watched nervously as the two leaders stared each other down. The tension pooling from the two was nearly visible.

"Uh…Ikki, c'mon, don't fight right now. Save it for the match," Akito suggested worriedly, walking up behind Ikki and tugging on his jacket. By the way he staggered in his AT's, it was obvious that this boy was not used to riding.

"What are you worried about? It's not like this old man can do anything," Ikki smirked.

This threw the Fantom Force leader over the edge. He shoved Ikki backwards violently, coincidentally knocking Akito back as well.

The added force of Ikki's fall pushed Akito to the edge of the rooftop, causing him to stumble backwards. The back of his AT's caught on the small edge and sent him backwards off the building.

Kazu, Buccha, and Onigiri were frozen, unable to move as they watched the smallest teammate slip off the roof. Ikki was just coming to terms with the fact that he had just caused the ordeal, and the members of Fantom Force made it clear that they had no intention of helping out.

Cursing under her breath, the ghostly figure dashed forward and leaped over the edge without a second thought.

Pressing her arms tight to her side, she dove hastily towards the falling boy. She knew his face, she had seen it the other night. He knew how to handle AT's, so what was so different about tonight? What was so different about his attitude completely?

As she neared him, the young girl stretched out one hand and grabbed at the long straps that streamed from his legs. With the other hand, she reached out to grab at the bars of a fire escape as they passed.

Although her fingers slipped off the first bar, the girl was able to grasp the last and swing her legs over it as well. She gripped the straps tightly, the hooks sinking deep into her arm, and tearing both flesh and cloth as the weight of the boy pulled them down.

She watched as blood dripped from her hand onto the boys chin and right cheek. She studied the boy, his clothes, and his face. It was then that she noticed the eye patch he wore. It seemed to have slid during the fall and was now barely covering his right eye, which was staring hungrily up at her.

A wild grin crept onto his face as he reached up to wipe the blood from his face. He licked the crimson substance from his thumb, never once looking away from the girl hanging above him.

It was then that she realized the difference between the two boys. This was the one she had met before. The violent bloodlust that he emitted was unmistakable.

"Ah…are you…okay?" she stammered, wincing as the hooks drove even deeper.

He laughed at her question, unintentionally causing the straps to move and hooks to tear into her arm further.

She hissed at the pain and brought her other hand down to try and pull the boy up. Her legs tightened around the bar as she began to hoist him towards her.

The straps slipped from her one hand and yanked the other back to where it was before. The hooks were now tearing her arm to shreds, small ribbons of blood streaming down her hand and raining onto Agito's face.

It was then that she heard him speak for the first time.

"How fucking stupid can you be? Do you really think I can't handle this? Dumbass, just let me go. A shitty little fall like this is nothing!"

Hesitantly, the girl let go of the straps. With one last painful tear, the hooks fell loose from her arm, allowing Agito to pivot in the air and then jump back up to the rooftop.

Relieved, she did the same, loosening her legs around the bar and swinging her body to push upwards off a wall.

As she reached the roof, she found Agito kicking Ikki in the rear, spouting off random swears and insults, and the rest of team Kogarasumaru trying to stop them.

Her teammates looked at her with disgust and shook their heads. She shrugged it off and sat back down, carefully cradling her arm as she did so.

After a few comical antics between Agito, Ikki, and the others, team Kogarasumaru and Fantom Force finally prepared for their match. As the challenge, a more advanced form of the dash, was determined, the only remaining task was to agree upon the stakes.

"Well, we don't really have any parts, actually," Ikki admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"That's fine. Well, then we'll wager our emblems. And since we were the ones to make the challenge, we'll even give you a bonus," the leader of Fantom Force replied.

"And what might that be?" Ikki asked, genuinely curious. "You're best AT parts?" he asked hopefully.

"Not quite…Our best mechanic," the leader informed, sweeping his hand towards the girl in white.

Shocked, the girl whipped around to look at her leader worriedly. Her eyes seemed to ask a torrent of questions that the leader merely dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"That's only if you win, though. And I like our chances…" the leader smirked.

Ikki looked at the girl sitting beside them. She was about his age, and from what he had seen, she was very good at riding AT's.

"Deal."

* * *

**Imp: Well, that was Trick One!! Although you can't really tell yet, this is supposed to be an AgitoXOC fic because I LOVE AGITO!!!! *glomps Agito* **

**Agito: WTF?! Get off of me, you cow!!**

**Imp: /// Kyaa~ I lovedez yoooouuuuuu, Agitooo!!!!**

**Agito: I don't fucking care!! GET OFF!!!**

**Imp: NEVER!!! Ah-ha-haaa!!**

**Agito: T_T Freakin' weirdo…**

**Imp: I think you mean FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!! XD**

**Agito: Uh, no. I meant freakin' weirdo…What the hell is wrong with you anyway? Are you mental? Oh shit…you escaped from an insane asylum, didn't you?**

**Imp: So says the guy wearing a straight jacket…talk about mental…**

**Agito: What the fuck did you just say??**

**Imp: I don't have to tell you! YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!!! **

**Agito: I'm pretty sure I am. Now, spill it, Shit-for-Brains.**

**Imp: I REJECT YOUR REALITY AND REPLACE IT WITH MY OWN!!! And in my reality I am the boss and you are my peon! Now worship me!! ADORE ME!!!!**

**Agito: T_T *walks away***

**Imp: Awww…fine. Party-pooper…Well, since Agito left, I guess I'll end it here. Thank you, guys, for reading and I hope to bring you Trick Two soon! Don't forget to review!!! They bring me happiness and joy! And a happy Imp is a creative, story-making machine--so lots of reviews, okay?**


	2. Trick Two

**! Disclaimer: I do not own Air Gear or the characters within it. All credit for Air Gear goes to the wonderful Oh! Great. I do, however, own Miu (my OC) and the team Fantom Force.**

**!! Warning: Since this is an Air Gear fic, I do warn you all that Agito's potty-mouth is the real deal. He does drop the F-bomb quite a few times, so if that offends you--don't read, okay? **

Trick 2:

Cradling her wounded arm close, the mysterious girl called Ghost watched as two Stormriders prepared for the next match.

Fantom Force was in the lead, having won two out of three matches already. So far, only Team Kogarasumaru's leader Ikki had been able to win, both the riders named Buccha and Onigiri failing miserably. Onigiri's match ended rather quickly after he was nearly hit by a car, and Buccha actually _was _hit by one. Luckily, the poor vehicle sustained more damage than the large Stormrider.

Now it was Kazu's turn, and although it wasn't the last match, it was still a crucial match for the team. If he lost, there would be no need for another one. Kogarasumaru would lose, end of story.

As Kazu and one of Fantom Force's riders prepared to start the dash, their respective teams looked on in anticipation from the rooftop. Ikki, in particular, was especially interested due to the fact that his team was at stake.

"Don't worry. Kazu will win, no problem," Ikki reassured, speaking more to himself than to anyone else. Then, leaning over the roof's edge, Ikki shouted out to his teammate, "You can do it, man! Kick his ass!!"

Ghost smiled at his words, but her team was not as light-hearted about the situation. Taguchi, leader of Fantom Force, was still upset over his loss to Ikki.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, you snot-nosed punk! That little twig in the beanie has no chance against Hatori," Taguchi boasted, looking scornfully over at Ikki. "He's our fastest rider! There's no way your runt can beat him!"

"You're wrong."

Both teams turned from the race to look who had spoken. Ghost looked back at them knowingly, earning questioning looks from both.

"What the hell are you mumbling about?" Taguchi inquired angrily, glaring at his female rider.

Ghost, deciding to ignore both sides, looked down at the contestants and explained, "You are right, thought, Itsuki Minami. Your twiggy rider will win. It's just a heartbeat faster than Hatori, but that's more than enough to win. This match is over."

Standing, the white-haired female rider dusted herself off and stretched slightly. Without a looking at her teammates, she began walking to the door leading down from the roof. She glanced at Agito, who was leaning against the adjacent wall with his eye closed, but looked ahead as soon as he noticed her.

"Where do you think you're going?" the leader of Fantom Force shouted, moving to stand and chase after her. "Don't you dare think about chickening out on us!"

"Heh, you're going to fucking run away?" Agito scoffed, staring at her from the corner of his eye.

"I've already told you. The match is over," she replied, closing her eyes and continuing through the door. "I'm going down to the starting line, obviously."

With that said, Ghost descended the stairs from the roof. Agito watched as she disappeared from view, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Taguchi cursed, murmuring something about her being an ungrateful brat under his breath, as he looked over the ledge at the Stormriders. To his amazement, both riders were nearly finished, and Kazu was ahead by a sufficient distance.

As Kazu reached the goal, Fantom Force's leader cursed again. It was another loss for his team--they were now tied--and Ghost had known it all along.

***

By the time Kazu and Hatori had reunited with their teams, Ghost had already taken her spot at the starting line.

Agito, however, took his time and arrived a few minutes afterwards. He seemed eager for the match, radiating an aura filled with bloodlust that brought chills up his opponent's spine.

Two girls, who had arrived during one of the earlier matches, stood at the mark and acted as line judges and refs. They appeared to be friends of the riders from Kogarasumaru, one sporting pigtails and the other with dark, short-cropped hair.

Preparing to start, Ghost leaned down to take her launching stance. With one hand, she reached up and tugged the brim of her cap so that it covered her eyes. She crouched low, lifting one foot up and stabling herself with sturdy hands planted on the ground.

"Are you trying to get hit by a fucking car, or are you just too scared to watch as I carve my road into you?" Agito snickered, taking the spot at her side. His stance was calm, yet threatening--like that of a predator.

At the word "carve", Ghost subconsciously winced. Although she had taken the time to wrap her wounded arm in a make-shift bandage, it still throbbed and bled under the strain. If those hooks could do that while he wasn't even trying, she hated to think of the damage they could do when he intentionally used them.

Releasing a shaky sigh, she replied with forced calm, "Sight is a…distraction. I won't need to see to win."

Agito raised an eyebrow, a fanged grin creeping its way onto his features. He snorted a reply and faced forward, waiting for the girls' signal to begin.

"Okay, so your target is that building over there," the girl with the pigtails announced, pointing to a building located a few blocks away. It was brightly lit with neon signs and could be seen for miles around.

"The goal is to get to the building before your opponent, but there's another way to win. If you're able to incapacitate your opponent before then, that also counts as a win," the girl with short hair explained, pulling a coin out.

"Also, you aren't allowed to touch or be touched by anything aside from one another. That means no cars, no people. You can jump over them, and you can wall-ride but that's all. Got it?" the girl with pigtails added, looking at both contestants.

"Alright, then. Ready?" the short haired girl asked, flipping the coin into the air and stepping back.

The moment the coin clinked against the asphalt, both riders were off. A blur of white and one of black sped down the busy street, dodging cars and pedestrians.

Ghost was focused on reaching the goal, but Agito had other plans. Incapacitating his opponent sounded much more…thrilling.

Leaping over cars and trucks, the Fang King hunted his prey. She was quick and agile, weaving in and out of traffic with ease. Although she should have been completely blind, it seemed as though she knew when and where everything was.

She could feel him closing in on her, but she wasn't surprised. He was a talented rider and his animal instincts seemed stronger than that of most people. Usually with someone so persistent, she would have taken the offensive, but she had no chance of that with her injured arm. Her only chance was to get to the target before him.

Agito's heart pounded in his chest as the thrill of the hunt grew more intense. He could practically see the blood--taste it--as he tore her to shred with his road. His eyes were fixated on the crimson-dyed bandages on her right arm as he quickly crossed the distance between them.

With a large fanged grin, he launched into the air and twisted, sending the razor-sharp hooks violently whipping towards her. She dodged the straps with ease, pivoting to the side and spinning behind him. He then turned and kicked out, trying to catch her with the blades on his wheels, but she dodged once more.

She gracefully flipped, passing only centimeters above him, with the same smirk he had encountered the time before. Facing him, she rode backwards and continued to bob and weave between oncoming cars.

Agito couldn't see her eyes, but he had a feeling that they danced with the same smugness portrayed on her lips. His temper flared at the idea of being mocked or worse--beaten--by the girl before him.

Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward with all intent on tearing the smug smirk from her face. Traffic had dwindled and now no cars opposed him as obstacles, giving him a clear shot at his prey.

Once again, he leapt into the air. Twisting and turning, Agito whipped his legs around to send the straps swirling around him in a dangerous vortex.

Tilting her head upwards, Ghost reached up and pulled her cap from her eyes so that she could see. She peered up at the Fang King with calm eyes, her smirk only widening into a grin as she waved at him.

Momentarily confused by her actions, Agito stopped spinning midair and opted for a strong kick with his fang-like AT's.

Before the tooth-like wheels could connect with her flesh, Ghost leaned down and evaded the attack. Spreading her feet to the side, she lowered herself as close as possible to the road.

As he landed, Agito dashed forward. He hoped to strike before she had the chance to attack, which he assumed was the reason for her odd stance. Agito advanced but made sure to keep up his guard, prepared for anything she might try.

But he was not prepared for what happened next.

"What…the fuck?" he gasped, his eye widening in shock. All thoughts of attack slipped from his mind as a completely unforeseen obstacle came into view.

Just as they reached the intersection, just as Agito closed the distance between him and his opponent, a large cargo truck crossed into view. It plowed across the street only a short distance behind Ghost, and he was surprised to feel a sense of what might have been fear or worry for the girl.

Time seemed to pass in slow motion as the even unfolded before Agito. He watched on as the large automobile roared into the intersection, as the Fantom Force rider continued to head blindly towards a deadly fate, and as the girl's ghostly white form passed under the monstrous vehicle…

Unharmed.

Ghost smiled as she passed underneath the tractor-trailer, its undercarriage passing only inches away from her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the rhythm of the tires on the road--a rhythm she had been listening to during the entire match.

This was what she had needed, the ace that she had planned on. The truck was following its routine delivery schedule, following its usual route. All she had to do was time her moves correctly, and thankfully, everything had happened as she had hoped.

Safely clearing the truck, Ghost skidded to a stop and looked around for her opponent. She expected to find him stuck on the other side of the intersection, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Fear gripped her heart as she considered the possibility that he might have hit the truck or have been hit by another vehicle. Panicked, she glanced around her--even looking behind her in the off chance that he had taken the lead.

But he wasn't there. He wasn't _anywhere_ around her.

Suddenly, the light shining above Ghost was eclipsed. Looking up, she froze, paled, and watched with wide eyes as an ominous shadowy form descended on her. All she could see were the razor-sharp blades shining in the light and a single golden eye accompanied by a gleaming fanged grin.

Stunned with fright, she dropped to her knees and brought her arms up in defense. There was nowhere to run--she couldn't even move. All she could do was wait and watch on in horror as the Fang King swooped down on his prey.

Out of all the sounds that filled the city, the loudest one heard in the night was the pained cry that echoed through the air.

* * *

**Imp: Yay! Trick Two is up and running and guess what--Agito's back!!! Say something, Agito :D**

**Agito: T_T Okay. Lessee…How about…UNTIE ME, BITCH!!!!**

**Imp: Um…no.**

**Agito: Well, why the hell not?!**

**Imp: Because I like watching you flop around on the floor like a worm. It's funny XD**

**Agito: Bitch. I'm going to fucking kill you! D:**

**Imp: Not while you're like that, you won't. Another reason why **_**not**_** to untie you. Man, I didn't realize what a whiner you were…maybe I should gag you, too…hm…**

**Agito: Wha--NO!! Don't you even think about it!! I'll fucking bite your fingers off!!! GAHH!! N-NOO-UMPH!! MMRFF!! (gagged shouts)**

**Imp: *nudges Agito with a foot* Well, my work here is done! I'll go start working on Trick Three! I hope you guys liked Trick Two, and don't forget to REVIEW!!!! Reviews are the only things that give me the strength to go on and continue writing--so please review!! And to you guys who left reviews last chapter--THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! Alright, back to work for me! I'll hopefully be updating again soon :D**


	3. Trick Three

**! Disclaimer: I do not own Air Gear or the characters within it. All credit for Air Gear goes to the wonderful Oh! Great. I do, however, own Miu (my OC) and the team Fantom Force.**

**!! Warning: Since this is an Air Gear fic, I do warn you all that Agito's potty-mouth is the real deal. He does drop the F-bomb quite a few times, so if that offends you--don't read, okay? **

Trick 3:

A cold golden eye gazed down into startled icy blue-grey orbs as Agito stood over his prey, his left foot planted no more than an inch from the right side of her face. He watched as streams of crimson ran down her arm, spilling out from between the fingers that gripped her shoulder tightly. Surprisingly, her expression remained fairly blank, despite the fear and pain she was obviously trying to contain.

She hissed in pain as he reached down and lifted her wounded right arm, earning a pleased smirk from the Fang King. He twisted her arm this way and that, inspecting his handiwork, before allowing it to drop back at her side. She hissed again, unable to prevent her arm from smacking into the pavement.

"If you don't want the rest of your body to look the same, give up. But if you're going to be stubborn, I don't have a problem carving my road into the rest of you, too. Your choice," Agito proposed, digging his heel into her shoulder to prove his point.

Clenching her teeth, Ghost bit back a cry as she brought her hand up to push away his foot. Agito quirked an eyebrow and looked down at her condescendingly, purposely ignoring her hand and pushing his heel deeper into her shoulder.

"Enough fucking around! What's your decision?" Agito snapped, matching her glare with his own.

It was obvious in her eyes that she struggled with the decision. Agito could see that much. Ghost fought to maintain her glare, but her eyes watered and her gaze faltered.

Releasing her grip on his leg, she brought her left arm up to cover her eyes as she winced. With a shaky breath, she replied hoarsely, "I…I give. You win."

Refusing to move her arm from her eyes, she used her injured hand to tap the ground, signaling her surrender.

One referee, the girl with the short hair, had been following both contestants on her bike. Seeing Ghost's signal, she blew a whistle and ended the match.

Agito stepped away from the girl on the ground, turning to walk back to the rest of the team. He glanced back at her quickly, surprised to see that she had not moved at all yet, but otherwise ignored his battered opponent.

Ghost remained motionless on the asphalt for a moment, regaining her composure. She waited for the scant remaining tears to disappear before she removed her arm and sat up. The action brought waves of pain to her busted shoulder, causing more blood to stream down her arm.

Getting to her feet, Ghost winced and looked down. With a deep sigh, she turned back to where her team waited and began walking.

Fantom Force had been defeated, both the match and their emblem lost.

And there would be hell to pay.

***

"What the hell was that?! You think your frickin' funny or something? You just cost us our team, you stupid shit!" Taguchi roared, forcing Ghost to look at him by holding her tightly by the jaw.

The remaining members of Fantom Force stood behind him, glowering angrily at her as well. They cursed and complained, condemning her for losing the match.

She looked back at Taguchi with dull, uncaring eyes, and said nothing to her defense. Standing her ground, she grabbed his arm and pulled it away. This only seemed to anger him more, and he let go only to shove her back by her wounded shoulder.

"Fine! How's this for funny, bitch? You're gone--done! Don't bother going home tonight, either. You're not wanted there anymore, got it?" Taguchi sneered, acid practically dripping from every word. "She's all yours, you fuckin' crow. Don't know what good it'll do ya--she a useless shit, anyway."

With that said, Taguchi and the other members of Fantom Force turned and left without even a second glance. Ghost stood in silence, watching them as they left her behind.

Fighting off tears, she looked down and closed her eyes tight. It was only when Ghost heard Ikki speak that she reopened her eyes.

"Asshole…Well that worked out well, huh? I was a bit worried he was going to go back on his word and keep you. I guess I don't have to worry about that now, do I?" he beamed, giving her a friendly clap on her uninjured shoulder. "Hopefully you're not nearly as useless as he says. Welcome to the group!"

"Smack!"

The sound echoed along the rooftops as Ghost's open palm connected with Ikki's cheek, stunning the bird-brained leader. He looked down with wide eyes to find a pair of blue-grey one's looking scornfully back at him, welling with tears.

Before they could fall, she wiped them away and pulled down her ghoulish cap.

Shocked, Ikki stretched his hand out towards her, but she jumped back before he could do anything. Turning on her heels, Ghost leapt off the rooftop and landed on another neighboring roof.

The members of Kogarasumaru stood dumbfounded as they watched the girl run off without a word. Ikki shrugged off the surprise and scratched the back of his head, looking back at his team while asking, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

***

Morning and school came earlier than the members of Team Kogarasumaru would have liked. After the excitement of the previous night, Ikki and the others were struggling to stay awake as Tonchan-Sensei tried to get the attention of the students.

"Uh…um…well…Listen up, everyone. We have a new student joining us today. Um…well, why don't you introduce yourself, Miss Azarashi?" Tonchan-Sensei announced, beckoning someone in from the hallway.

Slowly, a girl walked in through the doorway, immediately gaining the students' attention. The boys studied her with heated gazes and the girls already set to working gossiping and pointing out her flaws.

She was fairly average in height and had a slender build like that of an athlete. Her hair, tresses of sandy brown, reached in layers to right below her shoulders. Two icy blue eyes scanned the crowd of students, gazing at them without interest.

Introducing herself promptly, she bowed and smiled sweetly before saying, "I'm Miu Azarashi, it's nice to meet all of you."

"Thank you, Miss Azarashi. Um, please take that empty seat over there," Tonchan replied, pointing to the only vacant seat--the one in front of a familiar boy wearing an eye patch.

Miu stiffened as she walked towards her appointed seat, keeping her head down as she passed Kazu and Onigiri, who tried to sneak a peek up her skirt.

Fortunately, both Ikki and Agito had fallen asleep at some point during her arrival. Ikki had his head thrown back, snoring loudly, while the Agito slept with his head cradled in his arms. She studied them momentarily before taking her seat, leaning over the desk and propping her head up with her left hand.

***

Her first day in class and Miu was already sick of school. The teacher often strayed off topic, randomly breaking off into rants about various perverse situations, and it seemed like forever before class was released for break. By the time the students were permitted to leave for lunch, Miu was ready to stab herself in the brain with her pencil.

But a deal was a deal, and she had no choice but to remain with Ikki and the other members of Kogarasumaru. Now the only task left was to re-introduce herself to the team, and hope that their leader was forgiving enough to excuse her actions from the previous night.

Miu watched as Kazu and Onigiri stood from their seats and walked back to wake Ikki. With a keen eye, she observed their physique, their movements. She noted these things instinctually and pushed them in the back of her mind for later reference, then listened intently to what was going on behind her.

"Hey, Ikki! C'mon, man, wake up," Kazu said, shaking Ikki by his shoulders. "It's lunch time."

Ikki slowly stirred, opening one eye drowsily to look at his teammates. Looking around, he noticed that most of the other students had already left or were busy socializing.

Yawning, he leaned back and stretched. The motion woke Agito, who cursed under his breath, stretched, and turned in his seat to join the others. The two girls from the night before and another girl, one wearing glasses, joined them as well.

Now that all of them were awake and gathered, Miu was beginning to feel more nervous. Maybe she could go back on a deal and walk away, avoiding any further trouble with Kogarasumaru. Maybe, just this once, she could do something _she _wanted to do. And right now, she wanted to run.

But she knew she couldn't. As much as she wanted to, she knew she didn't have it in her.

"So, what are you going to do about last night?" asked Kazu, pulling a chair over and taking a seat.

Raising an eyebrow, Ikki inquired, "What am I going to do about what? We won, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but what about that hot chick? Y'know, the one that was supposed to join Kogarasumaru?" Onigiri answered, nearly drooling as he recalled said girl.

"Yeah, that girl called Ghost!" Kazu added.

Ikki looked at them blankly before replying, "Eh, I didn't really give it any thought. She kinda just disappeared…I mean, I don't even know where Ghost is."

Sighing, Miu shook her head gravely. She knew she was going to regret this later.

"She's right here," she declared. _Although she really doesn't want to be,_ she groaned inwardly. Standing from her desk, she turned around and nervously offered her left hand as she continued, "I'm Miu Azarashi. I am your Ghost."

* * *

**Imp: *sniffle* Hello, everybody. I've finally finished Trick 3 of Air Gear: Ghost, and I there's something very important I have to say to someone. So I've invited them to join me in this ending Author's Note. **

**Miu: Um, hi…? Why am I here??**

**Imp: Something has been brought to my attention, and so there is something I want to say…*sniff* I-I…I'M SO SORRY, MIU!!!!!!!! *glomps***

**Miu: Eep! W-what??**

**Imp: My readers have brought it to my attention that I've been so mean to you!! I hurt you so much--well, technically it was Agito--but still!!!**

**Miu: Is that why he is gagged and hog-tied over there?**

**Agito: Urmph!!! Mmrph!!! Erumph!!! Mmph!! (muffled shouts)**

**Imp: What? Er…YES!! Of course it is! It had completely nothing to do with the fact that he was threatening to kill me…**

**Miu: …What?**

**Imp: Nothing! It was all for you, my dear! Punishment--the least I could do! Uh, a-anyway…Thank you guys for your reviews!! I was sick this past week, but your reviews inspired me to keep writing!! And I can tell you that Trick 4 will be up sooner than the other ones were because I have already finished it and am only working on spellchecking and whatnot!! As for you, Miu-dear, I promise to withhold as much abuse as I can in the following chapters.*crosses fingers*  
Well, again, thank you guys for being such wonderful readers!!! I LURVE YOU GUYS!!!!! Oh, and don't forget to review!!! XD **


	4. Trick Four

**! Disclaimer: I do not own Air Gear or the characters within it. All credit for Air Gear goes to the wonderful Oh! Great. I do, however, own Miu (my OC) and the team Fantom Force.**

**!! Warning: Since this is an Air Gear fic, I do warn you all that Agito's potty-mouth is the real deal. He does drop the F-bomb quite a few times, so if that offends you--don't read, okay? **

Trick 4:

"Um, I'm sorry…again…for what happened yesterday," Miu apologized sincerely, bowing her head. She had been invited to join Ikki and his friends for lunch on the roof, and now sat between Buccha and the girl in the glasses, Ringo. "I shouldn't have hit you like that…"

"Huh? Nah, it was nothing. No problem," Ikki replied humbly, scratching the back of his head. He took a bit from his lunch and continued speaking, "It must have been hard to accept that your team lost and everything. I can understand getting a bit emotional."

_A bit emotional? Uh, yeah! I lost everything because of you guys, so sorry if I got a bit emotional, _Miu thought angrily. She ignored this thought and relaxed, smiling civilly and nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I just lost my temper for a moment…"

"Well, whatever. It doesn't matter anymore, anyway," Ikki replied, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "What matters is that we have another member on the team."

"Yeah, and now we have someone else with knowledge on working on AT's aside from Buccha," Kazu commented excitedly.

"And you won't have to ask Ume to help you fix your AT's," Ringo added. She then turned her attention to Miu and, smiling, inquired, "So, I can understand that you needed to be closer to Team Kogarasumaru, but is it okay for you to transfer schools?"

Miu returned Ringo's smile and replied, "It's fine, really. I mean, this way I can stay close to the team just in case I'm needed. And besides, staying at my old school might have caused some problems. My former teammates are exactly happy with me…"

The members of Team Kogarasumaru nodded in understanding, remembering how harsh her team had treated her the night before. They looked at her sympathetically, and she fidgeted uncomfortably under their gaze. It was then that Yayoi, the ref with the long pigtails, remembered something else from the previous night.

"Ah, you're arm! You were injured pretty badly. Does it hurt?" she asked, pointing to Miu's right arm.

Instinctively, Miu placed her hand on her wounded arm and held it comfortingly as she replied, "Uh, yeah. It's…fine. It's fine, really! It's healing really well--there's nothing to worry about."

In truth, it hurt more than she would have liked to admit, and she didn't know them nearly well enough to show it. Even now as she held it close, her arm ached and burned. Miu had only tended to the wound herself, not bothering to see any medical help, and it was only wrapped in some cheap bandaging.

"Your arm was hurt? Can I see?" Ringo asked, holding her hands out expectantly. Miu hesitantly obliged, allowing Ringo to take her arm in her hands. As she pulled up her sleeve to inspect the damage, Ringo sighed and inquired, "Agito, right?"

Miu looked at her and nodded, glancing over at the blue-haired boy napping a short distance away. He hadn't spoken to her at all, opting to ignore her and keep his distance. She was slightly disappointed by this, but he also unnerved her, so she was somewhat relieved at the same time.

She winced as Ringo pulled the sleeve up higher, revealing even more bandages. The action must have re-opened the wounds because large blotches of red soon began to spread through the bandages. It bled heavily, running from the bandages and down her arm.

"Ah! Oh…oh no, I'm so sorry!" Ringo gasped, apologizing worriedly as Miu took her arm back.

"It's okay. I'll just go wash this up," she replied, clenching her teeth as she stood up. Cradling her arm, she rushed down the stairs and to the water fountain located out behind the school.

_Jeez, what a mess,_ Miu thought with a sigh, looking at her bloody arm.

She tried the first faucet and was surprised when no water came out. The second one, thankfully, released a steady flow of cool water.

Miu unwrapped the bandage, looking at it with dissatisfaction before discarding it on the grass. Leaning into the fountain, she held her arm under the water and wiped away any excess blood. Once it was clean, Miu turned off the faucet and froze when she realized that she hadn't brought anything to wrap it in.

"Well…this just sucks," she muttered, looking at her bleeding and now-drenched arm. Sighing, she shook her head and mumbled, "It can't be helped…"

Glancing around cautiously, Miu made sure that no other students were around before grabbing the bottom of her shirt and lifting it over her head. She held the garment to her arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"You really should have that looked at," a female voice called from behind her. Miu turned around to find Ringo and the two other girls, Emily and Yayoi. Ringo held up a small roll of bandages and explained, "I thought you might need new ones, so I borrowed some from the nurse's office."

"Um…thanks," Miu replied sheepishly. She pulled the shirt from her arm and inspected it, "I guess I ruined this, huh?"

"I don't know how much blood it will get out, but we can throw it in the wash," Yayoi suggested, pointing back towards the school. "There's a washing machine we can use by the locker rooms."

Ringo made quick work of wrapping her arm, and Emily held out a jacket as she said, "You might want to put this on. I doubt Kazu-sama would, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ikki and the others are watching from the rooftop."

Hurriedly, Miu adorned the jacket and zipped it. Yayoi and Emily left to try and wash Miu's blood-soaked uniform while Ringo escorted her back up to the roof. By the way each of the guys anxiously avoided looking at her, it was obvious that Emily had been right.

_Ooh, just great. A wonderful way to make an impression, _she thought sardonically. Walking over to the group, she tried to hide the light pink that tinged her cheeks in embarrassment.

As she sat, Ikki looked at her and asked, "So…er…you okay, now?"

"Yup, just needed some new bandaging," she replied, flustered. She smiled up at Ringo as she took a seat beside her and added, "Thanks to Ringo and the others, I'm fine now, though."

"Really? Well, good. So, anyway, we were planning on training after school? How about you come join us?" Ikki asked, smiling excitedly.

Miu fought the urge to smile back, slightly charmed by Ikki's happy-go-lucky attitude. She frowned, bowing her head apologetically before replying, "I'm sorry, but I can't…I have to work after school. Maybe some other time?"

"Aw, man! That blows…well…I guess we'll let you slide this time, but don't think you're getting off that easily next time," Ikki grumbled, obviously disappointed. Then, in a stern tone, he continued, "You're going to have to train some time. I won't have one of my riders getting rusty!"

_Riders…_Miu mentally cringed, dreading the position.

She had just left a group that was completely horrible, nearly gotten torn to shreds by the sadistic Fang King, and now she was supposed to just get up and brush herself off?

_There's no way I'm ready to compete in matches again. Besides, this kid's a complete idiot, and he's supposed to be the captain? What have I gotten myself into…?_ she inwardly whined. _There has to be something I can do…_

And then it dawned on her.

"Wait…Um, I think you're confused. I'm not joining this team as a Stormrider," she replied, pointing a finger to herself. "I'm a mechanic. That's all."

_Loophole, _Miu thought smugly. She looked up at the members of Kogarasumaru. They seemed speechless with shock.

"What?!" the entire group howled, Ikki being the loudest.

"Heh, I must be hearing things! What do you mean? Not a Stormrider…? But we made a deal!!!" Ikki exclaimed, looking almost desperate as he placed his hands on either of Miu's shoulders. "We made a deal that you'd be on my team!!"

Looking at him sympathetically, Miu sighed and removed his hands, replying calmly, "No, it's true that I was wagered as a prize…but if you remember, Team Fantom Force wagered 'their best mechanic' not 'their best Stormrider'. I'm sorry, but I just don't feel like being a rider yet."

Ikki couldn't argue after she explained everything so thoroughly, apologized so kindly. He let out a defeated groan and sat back down. Sighing, he conceded, "Fine--for now--but I still expect you to help out the team."

Miu nodded with a gentle smile, relieved that they didn't give her a hard time. She was used to much worse, and Ikki's simplicity was refreshing.

She might just like this team yet.

***

The following days passed fairly quickly and without any complications. Things seemed to be looking up for Miu. She had a steady job, although the pay was lousy. Schoolwork was easy, and she was even warming up to the members of Team Kogarasumaru. Aside from a few easy fixes, she rarely had to do more than sit back and watch them train.

There was only one thing, if any, that she was unhappy with…

She was homeless.

For the time being, she had secretly set up residence in the school. Although it was not the best place to stay, it was better than living out on the streets. As long as she kept her belongings hidden during the day and avoided the janitors after hours, she was safe and had a place to sleep at night; not to mention a place to shower, eat, and go to the bathroom--things that the neighborhood park was seriously missing.

_It's a good place for now, _Miu thought, sneaking in through the back gate. She hopped the fence with ease and quickly scurried inside using one of the back doors, which was usually unlocked.

Cautiously, she removed her shoes and toddled down the hall before slipping into a familiar room. In the recent nights, she had grown quite accustomed to the school's layout, and so she knew exactly where to go.

Walking into the girls' locker room, Miu made quick work of discarding her work attire. She stuffed the garments into her satchel, a large, coffin-shaped travel bag. She would throw them in the washer later.

Shivering, Miu searched the nearby cubbies and retrieved a towel, carrying it with her as she disappeared into the shower room.

***

"Man! Ever since we got that challenge from Team Behemoth, Agito's been a freakin' slave driver!" Onigiri griped, walking alongside Kazu down the hall. "If he keeps training us so hard, I'm not sure I'm gonna make it to the match!"

"I dunno, I think it's a pretty good workout. It's his attitude that bothers me," Kazu replied, using his sleeve to wipe some sweat from his temple.

Suddenly, Onigiri noticed an open door--the door to the girl's locker room, to be exact. With a lecherous leer, he slinked over to the door and peeked in only to find an empty room.

"What are you looking at?" Kazu inquired curiously, peeking into the room as well. It was too dark inside to see anything, though.

"Man…I thought there'd be some naked chicks or _something_ in here," Onigiri whimpered, dejected.

"Like who? We just saw Ringo and the girls upstairs," Kazu replied as he started to back away. "A janitor must have left it open or something. Forget it, man."

Just as Onigiri was about to give up, the soft hissing of running water echoed through the room.

Both boys immediately returned their attention to the dark room. They slowly slipped into the shadowy area, attempting to sneak a peek.

Before either boy had gotten far into the room, Kazu's foot snagged on something large and bulky, causing him to tumble to the floor. He knocked into Onigiri, taking the stout Stormrider with him.

"What the hell was that?" Kazu groaned, rubbing the side of his face where he had hit the floor. Turning around, he caught sight of what had tripped him. "W-What?? Oh, man…holy crap!"

"What? What is it?" Onigiri gasped, turning around as well. "Wait, is…is that…what I think it is?"

Instead of answering, Kazu merely pointed a shaky finger at the obstruction before them--a coffin. It was sleek and black, trimmed with silver and adorned with a metallic skull.

Panic struck, and both Kazu and Onigiri broke into alarm. Onigiri flailed about, pointing and shouting inaudibly as Kazu scurried about in terror.

"Holy shit!! I knew it! I KNEW IT!! This school is haunted," Kazu wailed, shaking with fear. "There's a ghost here!! That's what we heard!! Damn it, you just _had _to take a look, didn't you?! Now we're _both_ going to die!!!"

"I don't wanna die!! I haven't seen nearly enough boobs yet!!!" Onigiri bawled.

Amidst the panic and terror, something broke past the screams. Soft and harmonic, an enchanting tune swept into the room and momentarily silenced both boys. The sound of a voice singing echoed from the hissing of running water, growing louder with time.

"Do you hear that?" Kazu asked, pointing further into the locker room.

Onigiri nodded and replied timidly, "Y-you think it's the ghost?"

Gathering what little bravery they had, both Kazu and Onigiri crept towards the sound. They cautiously leaned against one of the parting walls and peeked around the corner.

At first, neither could see anything through the steam, water and dim lighting. Slowly, though, a silhouette became visible through the steam and curtain of water. As their eyes adjusted, the fully-exposed image of a female came into view.

"I-it's no ghost!! It's a GIRL!!" both boys shouted upon seeing the unclothed figure. Onigiri began to drool at the sight, and Kazu succumbed to a nosebleed.

***

Miu closed her eyes and sighed contently as the warm water pelted her skin. She relaxed, running her fingers through her hair and scrubbing herself clean.

_A bath is the perfect reward for a hard day's work_, she thought as she began humming happily.

Soon, lost in the bliss of bathing, her humming escalated into song. The surrounding wall made for excellent acoustics, amplifying her voice tenfold.

Unfortunately, because of her engrossment, Miu failed to notice the unwanted audience watching from behind the wall. It was only when they finally spoke, or rather yelled, that she became aware of their presence.

"Um…I-is someone there?" she called timidly, hesitantly turning around.

To her dismay, she came face-to-face with two horrifying creatures, they're faces twisted in repulsing expressions. The first was short and pig-like, with slime oozing from every pore. The other was tall and lanky, dripping with blood.

"Miu-chan.......!!" they both moaned in unison, stepping closer to the petrified girl. They reached out to her, calling her name again. "Miu-chan!!"

Shrieking with terror, Miu quickly struck out with her left hand, catching a sensitive part of the porky monster's neck with a strong chop. It gasped and flopped to the floor, unconscious.

The second creature then reached out to grab her arm. As its hand wrapped around her arm, Miu instinctively knocked it away, grabbed the cloth located on the monster's chest, and succeeded in pulling off an effective body throw. When the creature hit the floor, it gasped and fell unconscious as the air was knocked from its lungs.

Panting heavily, Miu began to feel the effects of the adrenaline rush ending. Nerves shot, she dropped to the floor and struggled to catch her breath. Her hand searched blindly for her towel, and Miu quickly wrapped it around her exposed form once it was found.

"I heard this school was haunted, but I never really believed it, " she wheezed, her heart pounding in her ears.

Once she was relaxed enough, Miu gathered her courage and leaned over to take a look at her supernatural attackers. It was hard to make out at first, but upon closer inspection, Miu found that the two creatures were nothing more than humans. What's more--they were familiar.

Making out their identities, she cringed and gasped, "Oh no…It can't be. Kazu…? Onigiri…?"

* * *

**Imp: Well that was Trick Four for ya!! I hope you guys liked it!!  
What do you think, Miu?**

**Miu: T_T ……..**

**Imp: What did I do this time?? I wasn't nearly as mean to you as I have been!! I made sure of it!**

**Miu: LIKE HELL!!! Y-you made people see me naked!!! TWICE!!!! ///**

**Imp: Technically, you had clothes on the first time…Besides--so what? You didn't get beat up! Actually, **_**you**_** did the beating!! Poor Kazu-kun!! You're in for it when Emily finds out! **

**Miu: Oh…crap…I'm gonna die, aren't I?? **

**Imp: Nah, I can't let that happen. Apparently, you're loved by many! I got so many great reviews because of you, so I can't possibly kill you of…yet…:D Mwahaha!! Besides, we still haven't gotten to the AgitoxMiu lovey-ness!! **

**Miu: Lovey-ness…? But he hates my guts!! Sometimes I think he even wants to EAT ME!!! O__e**

**Imp: Ohh…kinky XD**

**Miu: O///O NOT LIKE THAT!!! **

**Imp: Don't deny it. You want him to nibble on you~~~!**

**Miu: Gah!!! PERVERT!!!!**

**Imp: …Well, anyhoo!!! Thank you guys for such wonderful reviews!! I'll have Trick Five up soon, so don't fret!!! And don't forget to review, review, REVIEW!!! **

**Miu: Did anyone other than me notice that she didn't deny being a pervert?? Anyone…??**


	5. Trick Five

**! Disclaimer: I do not own Air Gear or the characters within it. All credit for Air Gear goes to the wonderful Oh! Great. I do, however, own Miu (my OC) and the team Fantom Force.**

**!! Warning: Since this is an Air Gear fic, I do warn you all that Agito's potty-mouth is the real deal. He does drop the F-bomb quite a few times, so if that offends you--don't read, okay?**

Trick 5:

"I'm so, so sorry," Miu apologized sincerely, bowing multiple times. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be here, so it surprised me. I just kind of acted instinctively...Sorry!"

Ikki sat before her on the desk, arms crossed in a kingly manner. He nodded slowly before replying sternly, "I see. Well, I guess there's always a risk when doing that sort of thing. Don't worry, it's their own fault."

Onigiri and Kazu were situated behind him, still a bit dazed from the earlier encounter. They smiled sheepishly at Miu and scratched the back of their heads bashfully, ashamed that they were caught.

Buccha sat with them, using the free time to have a quick snack. He hurriedly stuffed various assortments of junk food in his mouth, obviously worried that he might not get the chance to eat again soon.

Miu released a deep sigh, relieved that they were not angry at her. She was not used to such forgiving people. It was a nice change.

There was only one scolding she still dreaded. Yayoi and Emily had rushed off to get the boys some ice, although they had little more than a couple bumps and bruises, and Emily hadn't seemed pleased with Kazu's assault. Miu hoped that the errand took some time; the longer the better.

"So...if you don't mind me asking, why were _you_ here?" Ringo asked in curiosity, taking a seat on the desk beside Ikki. She already had a hunch about the answer but wanted to hear it directly from Miu first.

Miu grew nervous as all eyes seemed to fall on her. She fidgeted uncomfortably under their gaze, nervously playing with a lock of hair as she pondered her answer.

At a loss for any good excuses, Miu decided to tell the truth. She groaned and replied, "Well...you see...it's not like I have anywhere else to go, really. I can't afford an apartment and most don't rent out to minors, anyway...so...yeah."

"What?! You mean you've been _living _here?!" everyone, aside from Ringo, gasped. She had already figured as much.

"Why do you all sound so surprised? You were there when it happened," Miu said, leaning against her travel case for support. "Like I said, they weren't exactly happy that I lost. I had been living with our leader, Taguchi, and he kicked me out. Please don't tell! I've tried other places, but I don't have anywhere else to go."

Ikki and Ringo frowned, exchanging glances between one another. Nodding, they came to a silent agreement and turned to Miu.

"Well, we can't let you stay here," Ringo sighed, shaking her head.

Ikki noticed the forlorn expression on Miu's face and smiled as he added, "So you're just going to have to come live with us."

Miu's eyes widened as she stammered, "B-but--!"

"No arguing! My mind's made up, and I don't want to listen to you--so there!" Ikki said with a cheeky grin. He reached forward and ruffled Miu's hair, speaking warmly. "Welcome to the family, Michi."

"Michi?" Miu questioned, assuming he was addressing her. _He couldn't have possibly forgotten my name, right? _she thought.

"Yeah--Michi. If you're going to be part of the group, you're gonna need a nickname. And besides, Miu-chan and Miu-chi take too long to say. So...Michi," Ikki explained, scratching the tip of his nose as he looked away bashfully.

"Oh...okay," Miu replied softly. She was surprised by how happy that made her. She had never had a nickname before. Well, there was "Ghost", but that was more of an alias. No one had ever bothered to give her one. It was...nice. "I...like it. Thanks."

Ikki's grin widened. Raising his head high, he spoke proudly, "Of course! As one of my minions, you needed a proper name! Now, all that's left is to get you to speak up more. I'm building an army of strong, confident riders--I can't have you being all mousy."

"Ah...but...I'm a mechanic, not a rider," Miu reasoned.

"For now," Ikki retorted confidently, as if he knew for certain that she would eventually change her mind.

Deciding not to push the topic further, Miu sighed and looked for something to help change the subject. By the way the classroom walls were scuffed and battered, Miu assessed that the team had been training.

Pointing to the walls, she inquired, "Are you training for something important?"

Ikki nodded, twisting his face in disgust, "Yeah, we have a match coming up against some punks called Behemoth."

"Behemoth?!" Miu exclaimed, standing up straight. "But they're...they're like the best D-Class team out there! How'd this happen?"

"You should be asking Agito that. He's the mastermind behind this whole thing," Ringo commented. By her tone, Miu could tell that she wasn't quite pleased by it. "Weren't you, Agito?"

Miu hesitantly glanced to the back of the room, immediately spotting the short blue-haired boy. He had been so quite that she hadn't noticed him before. Rather, she purposely forgotten to notice him. Something about that boy unnerved her, but she didn't know what.

He turned towards the group, sneering angrily as he snapped, "It's not my fault that fucking crow decided to completely fuck up my _fucking_ p_lans_!! I had it planned out _perfectly_, but you goddamn idiots had to go and screw everything up!! Fuck!"

Surprisingly, his foul language didn't offend Miu in the least. Instead, Miu found herself fighting the urge to laugh at how flustered he had gotten. It was like a child that hadn't gotten its way.

He must have noticed the amusement in her eyes because his temper seemed to worsen. Glaring daggers, he hissed venomously, "What the fuck are you looking at?"

"Uh...nothing, sorry," she answered, looking away.

He snorted and turned the other way, cursing under his breath. "Tsk. Fuck..."

"So...um...how many days do you have until the match?" Miu inquired, once again leaning against her case. She propped herself up with her elbows, cradling her chin in her hands.

"Now? Uh, eight...I think," Ikki replied, counting the days on his fingers. He repeated the action a few times, just to make sure, and then confirmed, "Yeah, eight."

"That's not very long at all. I'm sorry, I must be interrupting your training," she apologized, looking around the room. _It could be called interrupting...or an intervention. The poor room..._she added mentally. "Should I go?"

Ikki thought a bit before answering, shaking his head as he replied, "Nah, I think we had enough for today, anyway." His expression became mischievous as he added teasingly, "Onigiri and Kazu probably have to go home and nurse their ego after getting beaten so bad by a girl."

"Hey! Shut up, man!! We didn't get beat!! She just surprised us, that's all," Kazu retorted, blushing from embarrassment.

"Yeah! The only reason this happened was because that coffin-thing scared the shit outta us! We thought there was a monster or something!!" Onigiri defended, pointing accusingly at Miu's case.

_My case? This can't be any bigger than three feet, _Miu pondered, inspecting her luggage.

"What were you scared of, a zombie leprechaun?"

Miu suddenly fell quiet as everyone turned to stare at her with wide eyes. She instinctively clasped her hands over her mouth, a bright shade of pink misting her cheeks.

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! I didn't mean to say that out loud! _she thought frantically, instantly diverting her eyes to an empty corner of the room. She cringed. _They're going to get mad, so mad! _

She was surprised as she heard, not yelling but...laughing. Turning to look at them, Miu was shocked to find that the entire group was in a laughing fit. Even Onigiri and Kazu were snickering at her sudden wit.

"Nice one," Kazu chuckled, giving Miu a thumbs-up.

"Now we just have to get you to be like that all the time," Ikki sniggered, patting her on the head once more. "I knew you had it in you, Michi."

Miu's face burned bright red. She looked away and mumbled, "Uh...yeah...I'll work on that."

Ringo smiled at this and walked over to Miu, placing a hand on her shoulder as she said, "You should. We just want you to relax around us."

Just as Miu was about to smile back, Emily burst through the door.

"Kazu-sama!! I've brought some ice for you!" Emily beamed, running to the lanky blonde's side. Suddenly, she turned bashful, blushing as she added, "I-I hope it helps."

Nearly scared speechless, Miu took a step back and placed the case between her and the boisterous girl.

Yayoi meandered in soon after, listlessly tossing a bag of ice to Onigiri before leaning against the blackboard. She watched Emily's antics and shrugged her shoulders, sighing. Looking at Ringo and Miu, she slowly leaned over and asked, "So...are we almost done here? I don't want to be the Bearer of Bad News here, but we do still have school tomorrow, and I'd like to get some sleep before then."

Ringo nodded, agreeing whole-heartedly. Turning to Ikki and the others, she smiled and professed, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting tired. Why don't we go home now, Ikki?"

Ikki seemed to think the idea over. Yawning, dipped his head and stood from the desk, turning to address the group, "Yeah, you're right. Okay, everybody, let's move out. We'll train twice as hard tomorrow!"

An assortment of protests were mumbled or groaned, but no one openly challenged his plans.

Everyone packed up and prepared to leave. Kazu stood, ignoring Emily's fretting over his condition, and Onigiri soon followed. Buccha, who Miu had nearly forgotten due to his silence, stood as well and stretched, mumbling something about a late-night snack. Emily and Yayoi eagerly raced to the classroom door, waiting impatiently for the others to leave.

"You're coming with us, right? Well, c'mon," Ikki said, smirking before ruffling her hair again. Leaning down, he lifted her case by its leather strap and slung it over his shoulder.

He merely smiled as she looked up at him questioningly and then turned to walk towards the back of the room, calling out, "Hey! Didn't you hear me? It's time to go, you shark bastard! Move your ass!"

"Fuck you, Bird Shit!" Agito replied caustically, flipping Ikki off. He angrily hopped off the desk and pushed past Ikki, storming over to the door. He paused at it and turned back, snapping, "Well?! What the fuck are you waiting for?!"

Grumbling something about an ungrateful bastard, Ikki followed Ringo and Miu to the door.

Outside, the group said their good-byes and went their separate ways.

Miu remained silent on the way back to the Noyamano house, watching in as Ikki and Agito occasionally bickered. She found it amusing and envied how close everyone in the group acted with one another.

Before long, they reached the Noyamano residence, which was a decent-sized home although a bit run-down.

Miu nervously followed the others up the steps and into the front door. She automatically removed her shoes and placed them alongside the others' before following Ringo further into the house.

"Hey, it's about time you guys got back," barked a girl as she leaned out of a doorway, a bowl of Ramen in her hands. She had short-cropped hair and wore a large hoodie.

"Yeah! Do you kids have any idea how late it is?" another girl scolded, stepping into the hall. She appeared slightly older with long brown hair and a kinder demeanor.

"Hm? And who might you be?" she asked as she noticed Miu standing behind the others.

"Oh, uh...Hello, I'm Miu Azarashi," Miu informed, bowing politely.

"Um, Rika-nee? Is it okay if Miu-chan stays with us for a little while?" Ringo inquired.

Pointing at the case on his back, Ikki added, "We found her at the school. She doesn't have anywhere else to stay."

Rika studied Miu for a moment, thinking it over.

"What? How many more people do you think we can fit in this house?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. Then, sighing, she shrugged her shoulders and replied with a warm smile, "Well, I don't see why not. Ikki, Agito can stay with you, and you can have Agito's room, Miu-chan."

"What?!" both boys cried out in unison.

"Hey! Why can't Michi room with you guys?" Ikki asked, pointing at Ringo and Riku. He then pointed angrily towards Agito. "You don't seriously expect me to share a room with this guy, do you? And you know how Akito is! C'mon, Rika-nee!!"

"Now, you know we can't do that, Ikki," Rika began sternly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Our room's crowded enough with the four of us."

"Besides, we don't have any more extra futons," Mikan added, walking into the hall with a devious grin on her face. "At least you and Akito can share a bed. You're already used to that, right?"

"Shut it, Gorilla Woman! Oh! I've got an idea! Why doesn't Michi stay with me, and Agito keeps his room?" Ikki suggested, draping an arm over Miu's shoulder. "C'mon, please? I don't wanna be stuck with that pissy bastard! What do you say?"

"How about 'no way in Hell!'" Ringo shouted, pushing Ikki off of Miu. Both Ringo and Rika pulled her into their protection, directing her towards the stairs. "C'mon, Miu-chan, we'll show you the room."

***

"Well, here," Ringo said, sliding open the bedroom door. She leaned in and flicked on the light, revealing a...uniquely...decorated room.

Miu looked around, studying the room's decor--everything from the sharp wheels dangling from the ceiling, to the genuine shark jaws placed on the shelf.

_Uh, yup...definitely the Fang King's room,_ Miu thought, an amused smirk tugging at her lips.

"I apologize for the way it looks, but at least you get a bed, right?" Rika commented, giving the room a disapproving once-over. "Hope they don't give you nightmares or anything..."

Looking around the room again, Miu answered, "I don't know. It's...different...but I think I'll be fine." Then, she stepped into the room and turned back towards Ringo and Rika. Hesitantly she added, "Are you sure...this is okay? I mean, I don't want to cause any problems."

"Not at all," Rika replied, smiling. She placed a hand on Ringo's shoulder and continued, "If Ringo thinks it's okay, then there's no problem. I'll have Ikki bring your things up. Is that case all?"

"Uh, yes, that's all. I...didn't have much time to pack my things. And since I figured I'd be running around a lot, I thought it would be smart to pack light, anyway," Miu replied, scratching the back of her neck.

Realizing that it was an uncomfortable subject, both Rika and Ringo decided not to pry. They left Miu to get accustomed to her new room, promising to send Ikki up shortly with her case. Miu offered to get it herself, but they refused, saying that Ikki needed to do something around the house for once anyway.

_It's not so bad,_ Miu thought, walking over to the bed. Sitting down, she let her legs hang of the edge and fell back, heaving an exhausted sigh. She stretched, yawned, and closed her eyes, unconsciously dozing.

Suddenly, the door slid open as Ikki burst into the room, case in hand.

"Hey, Michi! I brought your--oh! Uh...oops. Were you sleeping?" Ikki asked, freezing halfway through the threshold.

Miu waved her hand dismissively, shaking her head as she replied, "No...not yet."

When Ikki didn't reply, Miu cracked open an eye and looked over at was dumbfounded to find that he was slumped forward, red-faced, with a depraved look on his face.

Before she had a chance to ask, he crouched to the floor and looked up at her with a goofy grin, sighing happily, "So Michi likes strawberries, huh?"

Gasping, Miu jumped up and hastily held her skirt down with both hands. Her face turned bright red in color, rivaling that of a tomato, and everything from the neck up burned from embarrassment.

_Pervert! What a pervert!!_ she screamed mentally, her actual speech hindered by her self-consciousness. Fidgeting uncomfortably, she stammered, "I-I...you...ah...please, don't..."

Ikki stood and looked blankly at Miu for a moment, blinking a few times before furrowing his brow. Sighing loudly, he chided, "Ah, no. Now that won't do, Michi. You're supposed to shriek 'Kyaa! Pervert' and slap me or something." He then grinned deviously and added, "If you don't then there's nothing stopping me from doing it again."

He squatted back on the floor, resting his chin in his hands and looking up her skirt. The same lecherous, goofy grin adorned his features as he snickered, "See?"

"Ah, no...! Stop," Miu whimpered, pulling at her skirt to try and conceal as much as she could. Finally fed up, she reached out and lightly thwacked Ikki on the top of the head, crying out, "Don't look, dammit!"

Ikki looked at her with wide eyes, surprised that she had actually struck him. Then, a victorious smirk creased his lips as he stood. Rubbing his head, he praised her, chuckling, "There you go! Nice. That actually kinda hurt."

Miu quirked an eyebrow, wondering why he wasn't upset.

Then she realized it. _He wanted me to do that,_ she concluded, completely puzzled. Why would someone actually _want_ someone to hit them?

"Well, here's your stuff, Michi. You must have a lot of clothes--that's pretty heavy. I guess you'll be going to sleep, so...uh...g'night," Ikki said, leaning her casket-case against the bed. He then walked past her, ruffling her hair as he did so.

As he stepped out the doorway, Miu called out, "Um...goodnight."

Ikki looked back at her, grinned and waved as he continued out and walked down the hallway.

Miu closed the door behind him and walked over to her case, placing it on the floor and undoing the clasps. She opened it to reveal a crumpled work uniform and a her black AT's.

Reaching into the case, she pressed on the lining, triggering the false bottom to come loose. Miu removed the insert, placing it--along with her AT's and uniform--on the floor beside her.

The actual case was much deeper and contained rows upon rows of AT parts and various tools and gadgets needed to tune them. Also, rolled up neatly in the corner was her Fantom Force uniform, "Ghost's" uniform, and a few pairs of socks and undergarments. In addition to the two outfits, her only remaining article of clothing was her school uniform, which she was currently wearing.

Looking at her pitiful wardrobe, she thought,_ I really should have had grabbed more to wear._

"I guess I'll wear this to bed, but I'll still need a shirt," Miu sighed, pulling the black shorts out from her Stormrider attire. She paused and moved over to her work uniform, pulling out a white camisole. "This will have to do..."

Throwing the clothes onto the bed, she took a seat and began disrobing. She quickly placed the shorts on and removed her skirt. Then, hesitantly, she pulled off the sweater and shirt of her uniform.

Just as she was about to slip on the camisole, the door swung open and Agito stormed in. He ignored her and turned to the shelf on the wall opposite the bed, pulling a small trunk off and placing it on the floor.

"Um...Agito...kun...?" Miu murmured, gripping the undershirt to her chest. She once again felt her face heat up as she found herself petrified. "I'm...um..."

"What the fuck are you going on about? It's still my fucking room, got it?" he snapped, turning around to glare at her angrily. "I need some fucking clothes, alright?! So you can just--!!"

He stopped mid-sentence, freezing as he stared wide-eyed at the half-dressed girl. Blood rushed to his face as it burned a bright red, his mouth hanging open with his lost words.

"_You _need some fucking clothes! What are you doing?!" Agito gasped, backing up until he pinned himself against the shelf. "Why the fuck are you naked?!"

_Why the fuck are you staring? _she thought, embarrassedly. She shied away, turning her side from view as she replied, "I was changing. Uh...do you mind turning around?"

"What?" Agito gaped, her words taking a few seconds to sink in. Finally, he snapped back to reality and turned around quickly, hurriedly sifting through his trunk. "Don't get full of yourself! Fuck!"

Miu turned her back towards Agito as well, quickly slipping on her cami and folding her clothes neatly before placiing them on the corner of the bed. She kept her back turned, still feeling quite exposed, and nervously began to undo her bandages.

Slowly, the first-aid wrap began to unravel, falling to her lap. It was then that she felt the uneasy tension of eyes--or should she say eye--on her back.

Agito, overpowered by some unknown curiosity, had glanced over at the girl after hearing rustling. He was now entranced by the sight of the dark marks that crossed the otherwise pale skin on her right arm.

Those were his marks, he thought with what might have been a slight hint of pride, looking at the how the marks wound around in jagged ribbons.

Miu, too, studied her arm--not that the marks were entirely interesting. Rather, she feared meeting Agito's gaze.

The wound had begun to heal quite well in the past few days, the once tender lacerations now merely pink patches of skin. She skimmed her fingers over the healing wound gently and sighed. They would most definitely leave scars.

"Heh, you're lucky it's just your arm. If I'd had it my way, your entire body would look like that," Agito said suddenly, unconsciously giving her a once-over after mentioning her _entire body_. He flushed, turned back towards the trunk and continued, "So I better not hear you fuckin' whining about it, bitchin' about how it messed up your complexion or whatever the fuck girls complain about, got it?"

He dug around in the trunk, pulling out a couple articles of clothes while he waited for her to respond. When she didn't, he quickly lost his temper, whipping around and snapping, "Hey! I asked you a fucking question! Do you get what I'm saying or not? Answer me, dammit!"

Miu, surprised by his sudden outburst, jumped and pressed herself to the wall, nodding fervently. Her face was still red as she slouched forward and crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking up at him uncomfortably.

Agito furrowed his brow at her skittish demeanor and hissed out an exasperated sigh. He scratched the back of his head, cursed under his breath, and growled.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Crow is right. You seriously need to chill out. Fuck! This," he began, pointing at her huddled against the wall, " is really starting to piss me off..."

_Oh, excuse me O' Great One for being a bit shaky around the bastard who nearly tore me to shreds and the freak who's peeked at my panties...twice! _Miu thought sarcastically, fighting to suppress her dry humor. Looking down, she sighed and apologized softly, "Sorry..."

This seemed to agitate him further. He reached back, grabbed something in his hand and hurled it at her, smacking Miu in the face.

"Don't fucking apologize, dumbass!! You didn't do anything wrong!" he barked, smacking his forehead with his palm.

_Then why the hell are you yelling at me? _she asked mentally, reaching up to peel off whatever he had thrown into her face. Taking it off, she inspected the offending object, unfolding it in her hands. _Huh? A...shirt?_

Miu looked up at Agito questioningly, holding the article of clothing loosely in her hands. She held it out to him uncertainly, only to have him yell again.

"What are you doing?! Don't give it back! Fuck!" Agito howled, seeming to become more and more irate. He noticed that she was still confused and added somewhat awkwardly, "That's all you've got, right? Well...it gets fucking cold here at night."

Her eyes widened, surprised, as she replied sheepishly, "Oh...thank you."

"Tsk! Don't flatter yourself! I don't worry about anyone but Akito and myself. But Kogarasumaru needs to focus on Behemoth--not you if your ass gets sick," he retorted caustically, turning his head to hide his flushed cheeks.

Hiding her the smile that threatened to upturn her lips, Miu lifted the shirt and quickly slipped it over her head. She inspected the shirt once it was on, quite surprised that it reached down past the shorts.

_It's so long,_ she thought, stealing a glance at Agito, _but he's shorter than me. Why is this shirt so big?_

As if reading her thoughts, Agito explained, "Crow gave it to me. It's too fucking big, but that's all you're getting, so don't complain."

He grabbed a few rolls of clothes and moved to leave the room, pausing at the doorway to glance back quickly at the unusual girl.

Noticing this, Miu took the chance to speak before he left. Looking directly at him with wide eyes, she softly spoke, "Um...well...goodnight...?" She hadn't meant the last part to come out like a question, but the uncertainty in her voice had made it seem that way.

Agito stared at her for a moment out of the corner of his eye, his expression unchanging. Then, with a snort he started out of the room, muttering as he did so, "Tsk. What the fuck ever..."

Surprisingly, Miu smiled at this. Something about his actions contradicted his true demeanor, and she could tell.

She quickly hopped off the bed and scurried to the door, closing it lightly and hoping that no one else would be barging in for the rest of the night. Then, crawling back onto the bed, she curled up under the sheets and rested her head against the pillow, which had an unusual scent-a sweet yet musky mixture. It was true that she felt somewhat uneasy about sleeping in an unfamiliar place, in someone else's room, in a foreign bed, but something about the house soothed her anxiety and lulled her to sleep.

_Maybe, just maybe, I could get used to this..._she thought, drifting off into the first peaceful slumber she had had in some time.

***

"Well...this sucks..." Ikki groaned, a look of complete distaste marking his features. He sat huddled on his bed, glaring at his bedroom door.

"Fuck, yeah...tell me about it..." Agito agreed, his expression more of irritation than disappointment. "Trust me, I don't want to be stuck here with _your_ stupid ass either..."

"Gah! It's no fair!" Ikki howled, falling back on his bed and thrashing about like a child throwing a temper-tantrum. He continued to whine, "Why am I stuck with _you? _Why couldn't they have thrown Michi into my room instead. No fair, no fair!"

Then, jolting upright, Ikki adorned a lecherous expression as he grinned devilishly, "I know...I'll just sneak into Michi's room later. Yeah, that's what I'll do..."

"Tsk! Whatever...it's your fucking funeral," Agito snorted, grinning. Then, with a humorless tone, he added, "She's not nearly as harmless as she might seem...don't drop your guard around her."

Ikki looked at Agito for a minuted, taking in the weight of the conversation, before flopping back onto his bed. Growling, he frowned and replied, "Fine, whatever. It's not like I was really gonna do it, anyway--not tonight anyways. Michi needs to lighten up a little first..."

Slowly, he began dozing off, subconsciously reaching for his pillow and tucking it under his head. Unfortunately, before he could completely fall asleep, Ikki was interrupted by Agito's cold tone.

"What the fuck are you doing, Crow?" Agito hissed, taking his foot and quickly shoving Kogarasumaru's captain off the bed. After hearing a pleasant 'thud', he scowled and continued, "There's no fucking way I'm sleeping next to you, dumbass! You get the floor!"

"What?! That's bullshit!!" Ikki shouted, launching himself off of the floor and catching Agito in a deadly headlock. "_You're _the one in _my_ room, so _you_ get the floor, you shark bastard!"

Their argument went on for quite a while, neither one willing to give up the bed. After hours of shouting (and a harsh reprimand from Rika), both boys reluctantly compromised and went to sleep, 'accidentally' kicking one another as they did so.

* * *

**Imp: ...........!!**

**Miu: Ne...? You okay??**

**Imp: ...................I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAHHHHHH!!! DX**

**Miu: Wha--?? What did you do?**

**Imp: *sniffles* I'm slow! That's what!! I'm SLOW!!!!**

**Agito: Well, no-fuckin-duh, but what does being retarded have to do with this?**

**Imp: How did you..? HEY! I'm not retarded!! I meant I was too slow getting this chapter posted!! And for that, I'm very, very, VERY SORRY!!! *cries***

**Miu: Oh...yeah, about that...Why the heck do you subject me to all this!! I mean, first Ikki seeing my--nevermind--and then Agito walking in on me changing!! You're horrible!!**

**Agito: Hn? What did Crow see? *twitch***

**Miu: NOTHING!! O///O**

**Imp: Mwahaha...and there will be more 'nothings' to come XD**

**Miu: You're evil T_T**

**Imp: Like I said: Mwahaha!!  
Anyway, sorry for the wait ^^; But if you look, you'll notice that it's a bit longer than the others. That's because everytime I'd think it was finished, I'd find something else I wanted to add to this part or that...sorry _ Then I kinda kept forgetting to upload the new chapter...eheh..Thankfully, since Trick Five was sitting on my computer while I was writing Trick Six, it shouldn't seem like too long of a wait before the next one. Oh! And if you guys want to check out my character designs for Miu or just browse my art stuffs, I added a link to my DeviantART page on my Fanfic Profile. Check it out :D  
Oh! And thank you guys for reviewing and adding my stories to favorites!!! I really, really appreciate that you like my story so far!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!! And please review!! **


	6. Trick Six

**! Disclaimer: I do not own Air Gear or the characters within it. All credit for Air Gear goes to the wonderful Oh! Great. I do, however, own Miu (my OC) and the team Fantom Force.**

**!! Warning: Since this is an Air Gear fic, I do warn you all that Agito's potty-mouth is the real deal. He does drop the F-bomb quite a few times, so if that offends you--don't read, okay?**

Trick 6:

"G'morning…" Ikki drawled, yawning loudly as he stepped into the doorway of the dining room. He groggily peeked his head in, looked around, and then turned to Ringo and Ume, asking, "Hey…where's Michi…?"

"Behind you…" a dull voice replied, its tone just as groggy as—if not more so—his own. As Ikki whipped around in shock, Miu lazily raised her hand and added, "Morning."

"How do you _do_ that?" Ikki gasped, his eyes wide with surprise and wonder.

Tilting her head to the side, Miu arched a brow, confused, and asked, "Do what?"

"Move without making a sound. I mean, do you, like, levitate or something?" Ikki gaped, crouching down and looking at her feet. He lifted them, inspected them, and frowned, continuing, "You wouldn't happen to be a cyborg or something, would you? Or a ninja maybe?"

"Eh…um…no, I don't think so," Miu replied, fidgeting uncomfortably as he grabbed her leg, poking and prodding it in inspection.

Suddenly Ikki was knocked to the ground and a foot was pressed heavily to his head.

"Fucking Crow! Can't you avoid acting like a perverted dumbass for one minute?" Agito muttered, kicking Ikki one more time before walking into the room and spreading out on the floor. "Some people are trying to sleep. Fuck!"

Miu took this chance to do the same, taking a seat at the table along with Ringo and Ume. She took an involuntary glance at Agito and jumped when he cracked his eye open and grumbled, turning over.

"So, how did you sleep?" Ringo asked, smiling warmly as she offered some breakfast to Miu. "I know it must have been weird sleeping in an unfamiliar place, but it beats the school, right?"

Miu smiled appreciatively but declined, still not awake enough to eat yet. She rested her arms on the table and replied, "I slept fine, thanks. Although, actually, I would've liked a bit more…" She yawned softly and stretched, smiling sheepishly as she admitted, "I'm…uh…not much of a morning person…"

"That's okay," Ringo laughed. She pointed a thumb in Agito's direction and added, "He isn't either. But it's good that you got up when you did. You would have missed school if you hadn't."

_Oh, darn,_ Miu thought sarcastically, dreading yet another day of class. She fought off another yawn and leaned back, stretching once more before standing. Stepping over Ikki's motionless body, she walked back to "her room" and grabbed her things for school.

When she got back, the others were ready to go as well. Their walk was fairly quiet aside from a few of Ikki's obnoxious outbursts and Ringo's chiding. Miu was surprised by how accustomed she was becoming to them, their quirks somewhat amusing to her now. She smiled slightly to herself, she realized that it wasn't so bad being around others.

***

Sadly, class wasn't nearly as painless. It was boring, unproductive, and Miu was seriously beginning to question the teacher's capacity for, well, teaching. For over half of the class period, Miu slept or dazed off, finding the lessons less important than her much-needed rest. Besides, she wasn't the only one…Agito was sleeping, too.

Lunch couldn't come soon enough, and Miu was surprised by how eager she was to go up to the school roof and eat lunch with the others.

As the other students stood and headed off to eat, she quickly stood from her desk and prepared to join the others as they headed up to their usual spot on the roof. She stopped, noticing that Agito was still asleep, and cautiously nudged his foot with her own. He groaned, cursed under his breath, and slowly lifted his head to fix her with his signature chilling glare.

"What the fuck do _you_ want?" he growled, kicking her foot away from his. Somebody wasn't very pleasant when woken.

_When is he ever pleasant?_ Miu thought with a soft chuckle--something he must of heard.

"And just what the hell do you find so funny?" Agito sneered, sitting up and crossing his arms in front of his chest. He looked down at her from past his nose, a condescending look on his face as he glared.

"Nothing, nothing!" she replied somewhat meekly, holding her hands up in defense. She smiled nervously and scratched her cheek as she looked over at the others leaving. "Um…it's just…that it's lunch, and you were still sleeping…and…yeah."

Agito arched a brow and then looked past her to see Ikki and the others heading out of the classroom. Huffing, he pushed off of the desk, standing and promptly brushing past her.

_Nice. See if I even bother next time…_Miu inwardly grumbled, frowning at his hostility as she watch him storm out of the class. She slowly made her way out of the room as well was surprised when she nearly collided with someone standing directly outside the classroom.

"Ah, I'm sorr--!" Miu gasped, stopping just short of the individual, which happened to be the same grumpy Fang King she had spoken with seconds ago.

"Fuck, you're slow! And you though _I_ wouldn't make it to lunch?" Agito snapped, turning to glare at her from over his shoulder before beginning down the hall, hands shoved in his pockets. "Move your ass…Fuck!"

A small smile tugged on Miu's lips as she reconsidered her previous thought and silently followed behind him.

By the time they had made it to the roof the others had already begun eating, Buccha going at it the most ravenously. Ikki waved them over but Agito merely grumbled something under his breath and walked over to the other side of the roof, reclining in a shaded spot to nap. Miu shook her head and sighed, wondering why she had thought he would join them for lunch in the first place.

Joining the others, Miu walked over to sit between Ringo and Yayoi, smiling as they scooted over to make room for her. She noticed Ikki, Onigiri, and Kazu staring at her, exchanging meaningful glances to one another every now and then.

Suddenly Ikki scurried away from the group, whistled, and gestured for the other two guys to join him. They did so immediately, almost as if they had done it hundreds of times, and huddled together secretively. They whispered amongst themselves, stealing the occasional glance back at her before returning to their secrets.

Unfortunately, their attempts were in vain. Miu could hear everything as if they were right beside her. Although she wasn't usually one for eavesdropping, Miu couldn't help but find herself curious as to what they were saying about her. Arching a brow quizzically, she listened.

"So have you found out anything interesting about Michi? I mean, like, does she talk more or something? Has she opened up or told you any more…?" Kazu asked, glancing back at Miu nervously. Thankfully, she was at least acting as if she couldn't hear anything.

"Forget that! Have you seen her naked yet?" Onigiri drooled, a lecherous grin plastered on his face as he fantasized.

"Actually, I _have_ found out something—two to be exact," Ikki replied, holding a finger up to his lips as he looked up, checked to make sure no one else was listening, and then leaned in close. "For one thing, she's freakishly silent—and not just talking, walking too. And then…secondly…"

"Yeah…?" both Kazu and Onigiri inquired impatiently, caught by the suspense.

"Michi wears…" He paused, enhancing the suspense. Glancing about anxiously, Ikki leaned in and continued with the most serious expression he could muster, "…strawberry panties." This earned surprised gasps from both Kazu and Onigiri, as well as flushed cheeks and a lewd glance back towards Miu.

"H-hey!" Miu gasped, her face flushed bright red as she stood and protectively pulled down on her skirt. Her brow furrowed as she frowned in embarrassment. "Stop…telling everyone!" she groaned, looking over to Ringo and the girls for some sort of support. Her blush darkened as her stomach chose that particular moment to growl, as if yelling along with her.

"Sorry about him," Ringo sighed, looking up at Miu apologetically. "He's always like that, that big idiot," she added, glaring dangerously over at Ikki. She pulled out a small bento, smiling as she held it out to Miu. "I noticed you didn't bring anything for lunch, so I figured I'd bring one extra."

"Oh…um…thanks," Miu replied somewhat bashfully, holding a hand to her stomach as she took the bento with the other. She sat back down, opened the bento and slowly began eating the contents.

Pausing momentarily, Miu stole a shy glance over at Agito and wondered if he was hungry. After all, she hadn't seen him eat earlier in the day either. She contemplated offering him some—as if she had the nerve to ask, anyway—but she was quickly pulled out her musings by Emily's voice.

"Who does he think he is—telling things like that to Kazu-sama!" Emily huffed, looking dreamily over at the beanie-wearing blonde. "But it's okay. Kazu-sama wouldn't get excited over something so perverted. He isn't interested in stuff like that!"

"_Sure_…of course he isn't," Yayoi replied dryly, rollng her eyes. She then turned her attention back to Miu, changing the conversation. "So I hear the boys are planning to practice today. Are you going to going to join them?"

Both Ringo and Emily turned to Miu as well, looking at her expectantly. She swallowed a bit of food and shook her head, looking up at them regretfully as she replied, "I can't. Work. Again."

"What? Work again?" Ikki whined as he rejoined the girls, obviously overhearing their conversation. Onigiri and Kazu followed closely behind, taking a seat as well.

Sitting cross-legged, he plopped onto the rooftop and folded his arms in front of his chest, frowning. "This sucks. Well, when are you off from work?"

"I don't get off work until late. Um…I'm off towards the end of the week—the day before your match with Behemoth…I think…? Sorry," she cringed, surprised by how guilty she felt for not being part of their practice. It's not like she even _wanted _to be a part of this team in the first place. Why should _she_ feel guilty?

"Damn. Fine," Ikki sulked, pouting like a child. He fixed her with a stern, determined stare, "But you better come to our last practice. Got it?"

Miu nodded sheepishly and resumed eating her lunch, which couldn't have been better had she made it. But as Ikki asked his next question, she nearly choked on it.

"So…where do you work, anyway?" he asked in purely innocent curiosity.

"N-nowhere important," she replied nervously, keeping her eyes locked on the bento. "Just some café in town. Nothing fancy…"

Ikki looked at her blankly for a moment and then asked, "What, like a maid café or something?"

Onigiri whistled at the idea, a trail of drool forming at the corner of his lip as he thought about it. Kazu blushed slightly, imagining it as well although he would never admit it. Even Buccha, who had been stuffing his face the entire time, paused and looked at her with a rosy tinge to his cheeks.

"No! Of course not," Miu objected indignantly, her cheeks flushed. _Although it's not a far cry from one,_ she thought embarrassedly, _but there's no way I'm telling you I work at an AT café. Nope. No way…_"Just a normal café. Really, it…it's nothing special."

"Boo…where's the fun in that?" Ikki pouted, back to sulking like a child. For some reason, Miu smiled at his antics—or any of theirs for that matter. These people really were amusing if nothing else.

The rest of their lunch period passed without much more excitement. Agito had napped the entire time, not bothering to join the group once to eat, and Buccha had eaten enough for everyone.

Once they had gone back to class, Miu, with her full stomach, returned to her previous drowsiness and commenced dozing at her desk. It wasn't like she'd miss anything important anyway. Thankfully, the day seemed to pass quicker that way, and school was over before she knew it.

She said her goodbyes to the others before heading back towards the Noyamano residence to grab her uniform and AT's. From there she promptly left for work, deciding it was probably for the best if she saved the changing for once she arrived there. She'd die if Ikki and the others caught her in her uniform.

_No, there'd be no living that down..._she mentally groaned, remembering the earlier embarrassment at lunch. _No way in hell I'd live it down…_

***

It was late—or rather, early—by the time she returned from work, and Miu was grateful that Ringo had agreed to leave the door unlocked for her. Had she still been staying with her former leader Taguchi, he most likely would have locked her out and forced her to find somewhere else to sleep.

Slipping her AT's off at the door, Miu quietly crept through the house with easy. Even the old, creaky floorboards remained silent under her step.

Everything was silent. Everyone was most likely asleep—another blessing, seeing as how she was still in her work uniform. Taking this opportunity, she slipped into the bathroom for a quick, much-needed bath. The warm water felt good, refreshing after a long night of work.

Once she felt relaxed and clean, Miu stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel to fasten around herself. Peeking her head out, she made sure that no one was around before heading out into the hall and up the stairs.

Unfortunately, she was not so luck once she reached the second floor. Just as she turned the corner at the top of the stairs, Miu jumped as she caught sight of a figure perched in the hall.

She froze, taking in the sight of a familiar head of dark blue hair resting against the doorway leading to Ikki's room. Realizing that there was no alternative method to reaching her room, Miu inched hesitantly down the hall, her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out why he was sitting out in the hall in the first place.

That question was answered quickly as she gazed down at the gentle features of a young boy, an eye patch covering his right eye—Akito.

At first he appeared to be sleeping and Miu relaxed a little, relieved. That was until a honey-gold eye fluttered open to look up at her. Miu jumped at this and tightened her hold on the towel.

"Mmm…Mi…chi…?" Akito mumbled groggily, rubbing his eye sleepily.

"Yeah…it's me." Miu frowned worriedly as she looked down a the young boy, sympathy swimming in her eyes. She fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably before inquiring, "What are you doing out here, Akito-kun?" It was a stupid question. She already knew the answer—Ikki had kicked him out of the room.

"Oh…yeah, well…" Akito began sheepishly, glancing back at the door. He forced a laugh as he replied, "I guess I got Ikki a little, y'know, mad at me. He locked me out." His expression fell. "I can't help it if I cuddle…"

Miu nodded understandingly, frowning as she looked at Ikki's bedroom door. Her hunch had been right.

Looking back at Akito, Miu felt a tug on her heartstrings as she took in his sweet, tired expression. She groaned, sighing as she decided to do something that she most likely wouldn't have had it not been some ungodly early hour in the morning.

"Um…one moment, okay?" she told him, holding up a finger before scurrying down the hall to her room. She returned quickly, now garbed in the clothes she had slept in the previous night.

Akito looked up at her questioningly as she extended her hand towards him in a silent offer. When he continued to stare and didn't take it, Miu sighed and elaborated softly, "C'mon. I can't let you sleep on the floor—you'll catch a cold." Somewhat embarrassed, she looked away bashfully and added, "It's your room anyway...I mean…um…before I showed up. It's only right."

Finally realizing what she was trying to say, Akito's face lit up as he took her hand and stood. Beaming a sweet smile, he took her hand in both of his and replied excitedly, "Really? You mean it? Thank you, Michi!"

He tugged on her hand, pulling her towards what used to be his room as he continued chattering happily. "This'll be great! It'll be like a slumber party, yeah? I've never had one of those!"

"Um…yeah…me neither," Miu replied, somewhat stunned by his sudden change in mood. It was the truth, though. She hadn't had anything remotely close to a slumber party growing up. Smiling, she added, "You are going to sleep, though…right?"

"Uh-huh! Of course," he chimed, smiling as he entered the room and hopped onto the bed. Akito watched as Miu paused just inside the room and looked around. Tilting his head to the side, he arched a brow and asked curiously, "Watcha doing?"

Miu mumbled something to herself, sighing and frowning. "Since there's no futons, I guess I'll…uh…just take a blanket or something…and sleep over here," she replied, pointing to the floor.

"What? No!" Akito gasped, jumping off the bed and grabbing her arm. He pulled her towards the bed, surprisingly strong for his size and demeanor, and then sat back down. "Then _you'll_ get sick. That's no good! There's more than enough room," he insisted, refusing to let go of her arm until she complied.

With a defeated, exasperated sigh, Miu smiled and nodded her head. She was too tired to argue and was doubtful that she could win regardless. "Alright, alright…you win," she replied, standing up to switch off the lights.

Akito giggled happily as he crawled over to the side closest to the wall and slipped under the covers. Miu returned to the bed soon after, laying so that her back was facing the young boy.

Although she knew it was ridiculous, Miu felt somewhat nervous about having someone else lying next to her—a boy no less. She stiffened as she felt hands grip the shirt at her back and something warm press flush against her from behind.

"Um…sorry," Akito said, his voice slightly above a whisper, as he sensed her discomfort. "It's…the only way I can fall asleep."

"Ah…it's okay, really," Miu replied softly, relaxing somewhat as she realized how overly-nervous she was being. "I'll get used to it. Whatever helps…right?"

"Thanks," he replied softly, as if he were drifting off to sleep. He snuggled closer to her back and continued in a low mumble, "Y'know, I've always wanted to know what it's like to have a big sis. So this is what it's like…hm. Good-night, Miu-nee…"

"Miu-nee?" she repeated, surprised to have yet another nickname. _As in…sister?_

"Mm-hmm…" Akito hummed into her back, the last remnants of speech before he slipped off to Dreamland with a deep sigh.

As his breathing steadied, it became a soothing rhythm that quickly lulled Miu to sleep as well. She smiled as she drifted off, enjoying the warm and oddly calming sensation.

***

Morning came just as quickly and unwelcomed as any other morning, but it was at least slightly more pleasant nonetheless. Miu awoke to a warm bed and a pair of slender, warm arms that had snaked their way around her waist through the night. They tightened around her as she stirred somewhat, still too tired to open her eyes.

Suddenly the gentle, warm arms enveloping her froze and stiffened. Before Miu could even question whether something had gone wrong, the arms were gone and she found herself momentarily weightless as she fell off the bed and hit the floor with a loud _thud!_. Actually, _pushed_ would be a more accurate term.

Stunned and confused, Miu lay upside down with her head pressed against the floorboards and feet still propped up on the bed. As she came to her senses, she lifted a hand to rub her head.

"Uwa…wha? What…was _that_? What's…going on…?" Miu whimpered, wincing as she ran her hand over a tender spot on her head.

"That's what _I'd_ like to know!" a curt voice replied from atop the bed. "What the fuck are you doing in _my_ bed?!" her attacker snapped, a hint of shock in his voice.

_Oh, great. Just…great…_Miu groaned inwardly, not even bothering to move just yet. She could recognize that voice anywhere—Agito. The eye patch must have moved sometime during the night.

"But…it's _my_ bed now, remember?" she replied groggily, moaning as she tried to slip her legs off the bed.

"Fine, smartass! How the fuck did _I_ get into _your_ bed than?" Agito snarled, crawling to the edge of the bed to glare down at her accusingly.

Her attempts were useless, she was still too tired and dazed to move. Frustrated, she ignored his question and whimpered, "Did you really have to…kick me off the bed?"

His glare intensified as he narrowed his gaze, not in the mood to play games or be ignored. "Stop fucking around! Answer me," he growled dangerously.

Barely cracking her eyes open, she frowned and mumbled, "Someone's crabby in the morning…" She winced again and, closing her eyes, crossed both arms over them and replied, "You were kicked out by Ikki—well, Akito was…and I let him sleep here." Miu stole a glance at him and groaned. She was way to tired for this, and her unpleasant awakening didn't help matters. Manners and pleasantries be damned. "Don't look at me like that…It's not like I kidnapped him. If anything _he_ kidnapped _me_…"

Agito looked at her quizzically, arching a brow as he continued to scowl down at her. Before he could say anything more, the door burst open as Ikki stormed into the room.

"Hey, Michi! Sorry to just barge in but—ah—have you seen A…ki…to…?" Ikki entered in haste, freezing as he noticed the scene taking place before him. "Uh………"

_Oh hell…like things could get any worse…what now?_ Miu cursed mentally, tilting her head back so that she could peer up at him from the floor. She sighed. _He's going to get the wrong idea…_

"Ah…Sorry for interrupting…?" Ikki replied with a bashful smile, slowly backing out of the room. "I'll…just be going now." With that, he quickly closed the door and raced down the hall.

Yep. Wrong idea.

"Gah…kill me now," Miu groaned, her pleads answered as she was pelted in the face by a pillow. She yelped in surprise as it hit and remained motionless for a few minutes.

Agito snickered, still glaring, and flopped back onto the bed. Miu, still unable to move from her position on the floor, removed the pillow from her face and tucked it under her head.

After a few minutes of silence, Agito cracked open his eye and stared forward. Glaring at the opposite wall as if had offended him, he grumbled, "You're going to be late for school, Shit-for-Brains."

"So will you…" Miu mumbled sleepily. There was a long pause before he heard her add, "…Five more minutes?"

Glad that she couldn't see his reaction, Agito smirked at her reply and turned over to face the wall. At least she wasn't nearly as mousy in the morning.

"Dumbass…" he sighed, drifting back to sleep.

***

The next few days followed a similar course. School and work were a constant she had grown to accept. Ikki and the Noyamano's were another constant Miu easily accepted. Although they were…_eccentric_ at times, she quickly began to enjoy them.

And there was Akito.

Ikki continued to kick him out during the night and he would turn to Miu for refuge, waiting for her in the doorway. Agito, on the other hand, didn't even bother with Ikki. He merely walked back to _his _room and stretched out in _his_ bed. Fortunately for Miu, he was gracious enough to share…as long as she kept her distance, which was funny seeing as how she always awoke with someone snuggled up beside her—intentional or not.

Miu was surprised by how quickly the days seemed to pass or how swiftly everyone had grown on her. Although she was reluctant to feel so, Miu understood that she was becoming attached to the group—quirks and all.

But with this newly acquired kinship came new trepidation. Nothing good had ever come from attachments before, not for her. A feeling dread ached in her chest as feared what the match with Behemoth would bring.

A match that would take place in less than a day…

Perched cross-legged atop a desk, Miu watched on intently as the boys prepared for tomorrow's match. Buccha, Kazu, and Onigiri circled the room, practicing their wall-riding, while Ikki pummeled a punching bag. Agito stood dominant in the front of the classroom, arms folded in front of his chest as he watched them in an authoritarian manner. Shouting criticisms and insults, he attempted to instruct them the only way he knew how.

It was surprising. This was definitely a change to see him so hyped up about something. It was unusual—something unknown motivating him. Unfortunately, when the boys questioned him on the motives, Agito simply became icy and distant.

_I wonder what he's up too…_Miu mused, shrugging off the idea almost as soon as it had crossed her mind. It was none of her business, anyway.

Even as their practice session drew to an end and Agito slipped off into the night, Miu remained uninvolved and silent. She reclined on a two adjoined desks and relaxed as she waited for Agito, as well as Kazu who had secretly followed him, to return.

When the members of Kogarasumaru turned in for the night, sprawling out atop the desks to sleep, she stirred to life. Their work may have been done for the night but hers was just beginning.

As always, she walked through the room with utmost silence. Walking over to her case, which she had dragged along for the night, Miu retrieved a few tuning tools before setting out to tinker with each boy's pair of AT's.

Using what little knowledge she had attained on every rider throughout the practice, Miu fixed worn or broken parts, adjusted gears and gaskets, and tuned the AT's to match the riders to the best of her ability.

It wasn't easy. Only Ikki and Kazu had removed their AT's before falling asleep. With the others, Miu had to tread carefully, working while the AT's were still bound to the rider's feet.

"Done…" she whispered to herself, tightening the last bolt gingerly as she finished tuning Agito's AT's.

Wiping sweat from her brow, Miu realized that she was becoming awfully tired. She quickly stashed her tools in the case and yawned, crawling on top of the desks beside Agito and curling up. Sleep soon followed, and Miu smiled as she fell asleep to a familiar soothing rhythm.

_**

* * *

**_

**IMP: WAAAAAH!!! Sorry this took so long!! Between school and working on con-stuffs, I've been working my butt off!! Sadly, I'm not going to have anyone join me in this A/N, but don't worry--I'll definitely have someone next time. I hope you guys like this chapter. There's a little bit more of sweet-cuteness, but I can't push it too far without making Agito OOC...nobody wants that, right?? Well, until next time--thank you for reading and please PLEASE review!! I really appreciate all of you who have reviewed so far! It really keeps me going--no joke!! XD**


End file.
